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| Category: Grass |
| Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grasses) |
| Origin: California (U.S.A.) |
| California Native (Plant List): Yes |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Pink |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Height: 2-3 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
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Festuca californica 'Willit's Giant' (Giant California Fescue) - Evergreen clumping grass forms a 3 foot tall and wide mound of blue-green leaves. In summer appear the elegant flower stalks rising to 5 to 6 feet tall holding dangling spikelets of pink-tinged flowers on arching stems in an open inflorescence. Plant in full sun to light shade and irrigate occasionally, infrequently to not at all. It is tolerant of a wide variety of soil types and is drought tolerant, particularly in shade plantings but looks best with an occasional watering, particularly in dry winter rainfall years. For the coast it is evergreen and in colder areas it is considered root hardy to around 0° F and useful down to USDA Zone 8. California fescues are noted to be pretty resistant to deer predation and great for massed plantings, slope stabilization and for planting as an understory for oak trees. The species is native to Oregon and California, where is grows throughout the state with concentrations in the Coastal Ranges from Santa Barbara county north and in the Sierra and Cascade Ranges. This robust selection grows about twice the height of typical Festuca californica. It was introduced by Cal Flora Nursery in Fulton, California and was a selection they made from a nursery crop grown from seed collected near Willits in Mendocino County. We thank John Greenlee for providing us with our first plants of this great native grass.
The information about Festuca californica 'Willit's Giant' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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